winter 2014 • quarterly newsletter

po box 66735 • houston, texas 77266www.mamahouston.org

bell park progressFunding and work for restoration complete. See back page for volunteer opportunities and news.

annual membership driveA great way to meet your neighbors and get involved in our community.Membership form inside and online museum of fine arts expansionBringing change and growth to our neighborhood. Details, page 3.

communicationsWebsite, e-newsletter, and Facebook page keeps our members current and connected. Join the conversation!

Happy New Year! I hope you and your family had a

safe and joyous holiday season. This is a great time

to live in MAMA as there are so many transforma-

tional activities happening in our neighborhood.

As many of you know, we achieved our fundraising

goal last year and installed a new sprinkler system

in Bell Park as well as new beds and plants. There

were several volunteer days this past fall where we

cleaned, dug, edged, planted and distributed the

biggest pile of mulch I ever saw! If you missed out

last fall, we have volunteers days scheduled this year

as well. While we reached the balance of our fund-

raising goal, we are still raising funds to establish a

maintenance reserve.

Additionally, we engaged the Museum of Fine Arts

on their campus expansion project that is underway.

This includes the construction of a new building to

exhibit contemporary art in the existing parking lot

across from the Caroline Weiss Law Building, but not

before pre-work which will include the relocation of

utilities and the demolition of the current Glassell

School to make way for a new and improved Glas-

sell School facility and new museum that will have

great amenities for us all to enjoy. We will continue

to work with the Museum as they move forward with

their plans over the next few years.

We also worked to address some of the parking is-

sues on Banks by having no-parking signs installed

at Banks and Montrose, 20 feet from the end of the

street to allow for better ingress and egress of the

street. We engaged HPD to address crime, were

proactive in getting graffiti abated timely, requested

installation of dividers on the Bell Park benches to

discourage camping in the park, and engaged the

city to fix potholes on Bissonnet.

While we achieved much during 2013, this year is

shaping up to be just as active. It was recently an-

nounced that Streetlight Residential Partners in Dal-

las plans to construct a 20-story, 303 unit apartment

building at 4 Chelsea Boulevard at the site of the for-

mer Eye Excellence Center. MAMA has reached out

to the developer to engage on issues that will impact

the quality of life of the surrounding neighborhood.

We welcome your thoughts and hope to work with

the developer to ensure our concerns are addressed.

This is a project that will receive our focus over the

course of the next year.

The Board and I look forward to hearing your input

and having you involved in each of these initiatives.

We hope that you will join MAMA and become a

part of our neighborhood organization. Check out

our website at www.mamahouston.org and sign-up

to become a member today!

-AllenALLEN UECKERTPRESIDENT

pRESiDENt’S wELCOMEhighLightS

Find us on Facebook/mamahouston

MUSEUM AREA MUNiCipAL ASSOCiAtiONfor houston’s best urban experience, come live with mama

bELL pARK MAKEOvER COMpLEtE thANKS tO MAMA vOLUNtEERS AND DONORS

After lots of planning, fundraising and volunteer

landscaping efforts, Bell Park has a brand new look

– cleaner, greener and more inviting for all who live

near by or visit the shops and restaurants in our area.

And it’s all thanks to a long list of dedicated volun-

teers, fundraisers and donors.

If you haven’t been by, be sure to walk or jog through

soon. You’ll see neatly mulched beds near Montrose,

shrubs in new places and several beautiful plantings

surrounding the pond – all being watered by a newly

installed irrigation system. It looks good now and

just wait till spring!

The project shows the power of collaboration – be-

tween MAMA, the Montrose Management District,

the Houston Parks Board and the City of Houston

Parks and Recreation Department. It has taken the

efforts of all these entities to create the plan as well

as many generous contributions from MAMA mem-

bers, neighborhood businesses and other friends to

realize it.

In fact, the list of generous donors is so long we can’t

fit it all in the newsletter. Please visit www.mama-

houston.org to see the complete list. Thanks, every-

body. We did it!

THANK YOU DONORSComplete list of Bell Park donors available online

VISITwww.mamahouston.org

CLICKBell Park

Lets enjoy our neighborhood gem!

MEMbERS MEEtiNgTuesday, February 11th • 6:30 p.m.

Italian Cultural and Community Center1101 Milford St

Special guest Heather Muller, City of Houston

Wine and cheese reception followed by general meeting.

photo credit houston museum district

MAMA

MEMbERShip iN thE MUSEUM AREA MUNiCipAL ASSOCiAtiON

checks made payable to mama - join online at www.mamahouston.org/membershipPlease complete the bottom portion of this form and return with your check to:

MAMA • P.O. Box 66735 • Houston, TX 77266

member name (please include business name, if applicable) email home work

street address home work city, st zip

mailing address if different city, st zip

phone home work

Questions? Contact our Membership Chair, Lance Jones at 713.249.1641 or email membership@mamahouston.org

patron membership • $100 bell park fund • $__________ individual/family membership • $35 senior/student membership • $15

SPECIAL INTEREST I would like to participate with MAMA on the following (check one or more):

Bell Park Restoration

Communications

Membership

Board/Committee Work

Security /National Night Out Annual Meeting /Holiday Party - Dec ’14

page 2 • winter 2014

In 2014, MAMA hopes to at least double its mem-

bership. Despite the small size of our neigh-

borhood, MAMA accomplishes a tremendous

amount. With more members, we will be even

stronger.

If you haven’t yet joined MAMA, please take a look

at a few reasons why we hope you will, whether to

attend our quarterly meetings to get information

on the issues of the day or to take a more active

role through donations of time and funds.

MAMA has been active for nearly 35 years in

the area bounded north-south between Bisson-

et and 59 and east-west between Main St. and

Graustark. We keep area residents informed on

developments and issues that affect them – and

take positive steps to improve and protect the

neighborhood.

So what have we accomplished over the years? It’s

a long list:

• Supporting Bell Park: in 2013, MAMA complet-

ed a $30,000 project to install new irrigation and

plantings to restore and beautify the park. And in

prior years, MAMA has raised funds to install the

lights in the park and to complete the paving of

the park when city funds were depleted. Bell Park

sits nearly in the center of the MAMA area and we

watch out for it!

• Influencing the redesign of US 59 along our

northern boundary: Working with other neigh-

borhoods and civic associations, MAMA prevent-

ed an elevated flyover envisioned by the highway

department and lobbied successfully for the

current below-grade lanes of today. In coopera-

tion with the highway department, ensured the

installation of sound barriers and landscaping in

the section near the detention pond on Rosedale.

• Planting trees on streets and esplanades – 130

crepe myrtles planted between 1983 and 1993

• Organizing a walking tour of the neighborhood

• Sponsoring numerous gatherings over the years

on National Night Out to help neighbors get ac-

quainted and to link with law enforcement in im-

proving neighborhood security

• Blocking unwanted non-residential construc-

tion, despite lack of deed restrictions, solving

parking problems, and working with commercial

enterprises to solve problems that arise

• Supporting formation of the Montrose Manage-

ment District

• Lobbying the City of Houston for resurfacing of

area streets

At MAMA’s first meeting in 1980, the 80 attend-

ees included original owners of homes, young

couples with modest incomes, apartment dwell-

ers and even students. Today, that list also in-

cludes residents of more recently developed town

homes and high-rises.

All are welcome regardless of home ownership or

residence – in fact, some of our best supporters

are area businesses.

We don’t win all our battles, but the more of us

who care, the better we can do to ensure our

neighborhood is the best it can be for all who live

and work here. Please join us by mailing the form

below in the stamped envelope provided, or visit

www.mamahouston.org/membership

✤

MAMA LAUNChES 2014 MEMbERShip DRivE

winter 2014 • page 3

Simpy scan the QR code for a shortcut to the

MAMA payment page.

patron membership • $100 bell park fund • $__________ individual/family membership • $35 senior/student membership • $15

winter 2014 • page 3

MUSEUM Of fiNE ARtS CAMpUS ExpANSiON

You’ve probably noticed the traffic cones clos-

ing a lane at Montrose and Bissonet. If you’ve

wondered what it’s all about, the ongoing work

under the roadway is all part of growing pains in a

significant expansion at the Museum of Fine Arts,

Houston (MFAH).

The proposed plan was outlined at the September

2013 MAMA meeting by speakers Gwen Goffe,

MFAH, and Patti Joiner, Knudsen & Associates.

The multi-year proposed plan calls for unifying

the current MFAH campus through construction

of a new exhibition building for contemporary art

on the present parking area across from the Caro-

line Weiss Law Building, the integration of the

Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden with

an expansion of the Glassell School of Art, and

construction of an underground parking facility

for the new buildings. The proposed plan will

bring yet another distinguished firm, Steven Holl

Architects, to Houston to add to the Museum’s list

of buildings by great architects.

The new exhibition building will feature Art after

1900 and include galleries for traveling exhibi-

tions, educational facilities, a library and study/

resource center, lecture halls, a theater and a

restaurant that will overlook the Cullen Sculpture

Garden. The new building for Glassell School

will provide a significant increase in space and

include a plaza enhancing accessibility to the

Cullen Sculpture Garden. The underground park-

ing facility will include a separate entrance for

buses and trucks and an underground pedestrian

and vehicle connection to link all three sites.

The MFAH has worked with the City, the Parks

Department, and affected neighbors to create

plans for this new center for public engage-

ment with the arts. The project proposes to tie

together all landscape elements in the immediate

area. Exterior gardens and water features will be

added, the existing setback along Montrose will

be maintained, and street trees will be protected

in cooperation with the Parks Department. To-

gether with moving the parking underground, the

entire project will greatly enhance the beauty of

our neighborhood.

The current work in traffic lanes near the mu-

seum will rebuild and relocate underground utili-

ties over the next few months. The next phase will

be the construction of the new Glassell School, to

commence in 2015. The above proposal is subject

to modification in the ongoing planning phase.

Bringing Change and Growth to the Neighborhood

A Dallas development company has announced

plans to begin construction in the next few

months on a 20-story apartment tower at the site

of the former Eye Excellence Clinic at 4 Chelsea

Blvd. The plan calls for 303 apartment units. Con-

struction of the building and its attached garage

could take up to 2 ½ years according to the an-

nouncement of the project. All access to the de-

velopment will be from Chelsea Blvd. Demolition

of the Eye Excellence building is slated to begin

early 2014.

MAMA is reserving about 30 minutes at its Febru-

ary meeting to hear the concerns of the neighbor-

hood, helping MAMA as it engages with the devel-

oper in the coming months.

✤

NEw high-RiSE ON ChELSEA

Architectural rendering provided by Gromatzky Dupree & Associates

Call for a free in

home market analysis

Barbara Aksamit(713) 398-7896

baksamit@swbell.net

©R

president Allen Ueckert

president@mamahouston.org

vice president Doug Lawing

secretary Cassie Stinson

treasurer Barbara Aksamit

treasurer@mamahouston.org

membership Lance Jones

membership@mamahouston.org

communications Ginny Camfield

Leslie Gerber

nominating committee Cassie Stinson

liason, upa Kathryn McNeil

Barbara AksamitGinny Camfield

Mike Delaney Rey de la Reza

John GabrielLeslie GerberCarvel GlennDoug Lawing

Kathryn McNeilAllen Ueckert

page 4

winter 2014 • quarterly newsletter

MAMA has four scheduled general membership meetings during the

year, generously hosted by our neighbors at the Italian Cultural and

Community Center beginning at 7:00pm.

Please join us on Tuesday, February 11, for the first meeting of 2014.

Our guest speaker will be Heather Muller, with the City of Houston, who

is leading the effort to implement a coordinated housing system for the

homeless. Homelessness is an ongoing concern in ours and all inner

city neighborhoods.

Time will be set aside at the meeting to address concerns about the

new high-rise apartment tower slated for construction in early 2014 on

Chelsea Blvd.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

February 11, 2014

April 8, 2014

June 10, 2014

December 9, 2014

2014 SChEDULE Of MEEtiNgS

vOLUNtEERS NEEDED tO KEEp bELL pARK bEAUtifUL - fEbRUARY 15 bOARD Of DiRECtORS

OffiCERS

viSit MAMA 24/7

Once a year, we print and deliver our newsletter. If you would like

to continue receiving news and information about the MAMA neighborhood, please visit our website and subscribe to our

electronic quarterly newsletter, or find us on Facebook to join the

conversation and stay connected.

www.mamahouston.org

winter 2014 • quarterly newsletter more news and updates onlinewww.mamahouston.org

After our fall planting days, Bell Park is looking

great. To keep it that way, MAMA needs volunteers

for a short maintenance opportunity.

Please come to Bell Park on Saturday, February 15

from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Bring your garden tools (put a

label on them identifying them as yours) and your

garden gloves, and help pull weeds, remove dead

foliage and other light maintenance.

Let’s work together and get our neighborhood gem

ready for spring!

MAiNtENANCE fUND EStAbLiShED fOR bELL pARK

MAMA volunteers pitch in at Bell Park prep day

A landscape is a living thing and it must be tended

over time. To help MAMA keep the mulch deep,

dead plants replaced and sprinklers repaired, we

need to raise additional funds for our maintenance

account for Bell Park.

Whether you have already donated or haven’t yet

had the opportunity, please consider a modest do-

nation in 2014 to help MAMA increase this fund.

Our fundraising goal is $2,000 to add to the nearly

$500 in the Bell Park account at the Houston Parks

Board. Any funds raised in addition to the goal will

be used to further beautify Bell Park.

These funds can be used only for Bell Park and your

donation to the Houston Parks Board is tax deduct-

ible.

It’s easy to contribute online. Simply visit www.

houstonparksboard.org, and click on the large Do-

nate button in the upper right corner. All major

credit cards accepted. Be sure to select Bell Park

in the drop-down menu near your credit card in-

formation.

You can also send a check with Bell Park noted in

the check memo to Houston Parks Board, 300 N.

Post Oak Lane, Houston TX 77024.